RESUMO

Nosocomial infections increase the morbidity, mortality and cost of hospitalization. The Hospital Infection Committee of the Metropolitan Hospital Complex of the Caja de Seguro Social de Panama studied the problem of nosocomial infections in 1987 and showed that of 29,576 admissions, 820 patients developed 994 nosocomial infections (an annual incidence of 3.69%). This resulted in 5191 additional days of hospitalization, at a conservatively estimated cost of B/ 840,153, and was responsible for 24 deaths. An adequate and efficient program of control of nosocomial infections in recommended.

Assuntos

Infecção Hospitalar/economia , Hospitais Urbanos/economia , Hospitais , Departamentos Hospitalares/economia , Humanos , Panamá , Previdência Social/economia